It might not be here in full, but it looks like we’ve at least seen the first signs of spring: patches of grass, a 60-degree predicted day, rain, outside walkers, and now, farm babies.
Each year the Minnesota Zoo kicks off the season with its Farm Babies exhibit (April 1-30), introducing its newest residents, baby chicks, piglets, lambs, calves, goat kids, and bunnies. You can meet the little ones at the Wells Fargo Family Farm while participating in a number of other family-fun activities, too. Come on Peeps weekend to see the Peeps’ mascot and mobile (April 12 & 13), join in on crafts and get your face painted (April 18 & 19), meet Peter Rabbit (April 19), or visit the oink booth (April 26 & 27). The American Association of Zoo Keepers will also be holding an art fair (April 4-6, 22-24 & 26), and tram rides will run from the grain elevator to the farm Fridays through Sundays.
And as long as you’re at the zoo, you’ll definitely want to visit its other 4,300 residents. Head to the Minnesota Trail to see animals native to here, including a black bear, lynx, and puma, find animals that thrive in all seasons on the Northern Trail, like a tiger, camel, moose and prairie dogs, then on the Tropics Trail you’ll encounter animals from biodiversity hotspots, such as sloths, lemurs, flamingos, and dwarf crocodiles. Plus, Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit showcases leopards, bears and sea otters, and if you return in late May, you can come face-to-face with 13 super-sized animatronic bugs as a part of the Big Bugs exhibit.
